“Now go below,” he said, giving me a gentle push toward the cabin stairs.
I found Captain Nelson there, sitting at the cabin table. The row on deck had been noiseless, and he had not been disturbed. He fixed me up with some simple remedy.
“It ’ll bleed a few minutes,” he said. “Let it. Now tell me the whole story. Been in a fight, have you?”
I told him the whole story, and he made no comment whatever, although I was expecting something, whether praise or blame I did not know. I never felt sure how he would take any of my exploits. But he said nothing, and I bade him good-night, and went to turn in. I did not go to sleep immediately. My wounds gave me no pain whatever, but I was still in a condition of excitement.
In the morning, however, I was so sore and lame that I dressed with difficulty. We were under way again, and Wright was no worse, although he certainly was no better. He told me that they had Lupo in irons, and that they would hand him over to the consul in Fayal, who would want my story again. This piece of information elated me, while filling me with apprehension and nervousness. I must be sure that I had my story straight, and I wrote it out at once, while it was all fresh in my mind.
Later in that day I was studying trigonometry, and found myself beyond my depth, when Mr. Brown came along. I was immersed in mathematics, and thinking of nothing but spherical angles. He stood for a few minutes, watching me, and half smiling to himself.
“Tim,” he said at last.
I looked up, startled at his abruptness.
“Yes, sir?”
“I guess that you had no intention of getting in that fight, but suddenly found yourself in it. Is n’t that so?”